Phonograph brake mechanism



Oct. 17, 1933. J H, A

PHONOGRAPH BRAKE MECHANISM Filed Nov. 26, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOE Jbhnliliwf HIS ATTOE/V Oct. 17, 1933. TEAF 1,930,543

PHONOGRAPH BRAKE MECHANISM Filed Nov. 26, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .a WW mum INVENTO/EI 50 Jnhnli 119a]? fl/8 ATTOE/VEK 1'5 chosen that the closing of the casing cover or casing.

automatically actuated stopping Patented Oct. 17, 1933 FF-ICEI. i

1,939,543 r PHoNoGRAPH BRAKE .MECHANISM John H. Tear, Camden,

Corporation of Delaware N. .I., assignor to Radio -America, a corporation of Application November 26, 1932 Serial No. 644,451

The present invention relates to automatic stopping and starting devices for phonographs. More specifically, the invention resides in a brake releasing and restoring member whereby a control mechanism, such as is disclosed in the co-pending application of B. R. Carson, Serial No. 620,193, filed June30, 1932, and assigned to Radio Corporation of America, for example, may be utilized in small, compact, portable phonographs.

In portable phonographs of known types which are provided with automatically actuated brake mechanism,'the size of the casing, in which the phonograph mechanism is housed, is usually so lid will not interfere with a brake releasing and restoring member, carried by the tone arm, after the said tone arm has been placed in storage position preparatory to closing the lid of the However, in order that amuch smaller casing may be employed in the construction of a portable phonograph, without sacrificing any of the desirable features and advantages of the and starting mechanism, it is desirablethat the brake releasing and restoring member operable by and in conjunction with the tone arm, be so modified and arranged that the said member will not project beyond the marginal edge of the casing upon movement of the tone arm to storage position. Obviously, the use of a brake releasing and restoring member as shown in the co-- pending application herein identified in connection with a much smaller casing would result in the projection of the brake releasing and restoring member beyond the edge of the casing upon movement of the tone arm to storage position and prevent the proper closing of the casing cover or lid.

It is, therefore, a primary object of the invention to provide a tone arm forming apart of a portable phonograph with a brake releasing and restoring member which is so positioned automatically upon movement of the tone'arm to storage position that a much smaller casing may be employed.

A further object of the inventionis to provide a tone arm forming a part of a portable phonograph with a brake releasing and restoring member the position of which is automatically changed relatively to the tone arm upon; movement of the tone arm to storage position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tone arm forming a part of a portable phono- -15 Claims. (01. 192-117)- graph with a foldable brake releasing and re storing member whereby, when, said arm is moved to storage position, said 'member will be so moved automatically as to occupy a position within the limits of the casing of said phonograph. f

A further object of theyinvention is to pro vide, a tone arm forming a part of a portable phonograph which includes a brake mechanism with a foldable brake. releasing and restoring member which is adaptedto be automatically retracted into a substantiallyvertical position upon movement of the tone arm to storage position. 7 a

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide the tone arm of a portable phonograph which includes an automatically actuated stopping and starting mechanism, with a control memberfor actuating saidmechanism and means adapted to co-act with saidcontrol member upon movement of said tone arm to storage positionwhereby said control member is moved relatively to said tonearm. 7 A further object of the invention is to pro, vide the tone arm of a portable phonograph which includes an automatically-actuated brake mechanism with a, yieldable brake actuating member which is adapted to be moved to a non-interfering position upon movement of the lid of said phonograph to closed position subsequent to the movement of said tonearmto storage position. ,7

With the above and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel construction, com bination, and arrangement of parts, the: novel features of which are set forth with particularity in the appended claims, the invention-it self, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together withadditiona1 objects and advantages thereof, being best understood from the'following description of a specific embodiment, when. taken in connection with the'accompanying drawings, in which I Fig. l is a fragmentary plan View of a phonograph illustrating ,my invention as applied thereto, Fig. 2 is a 'view similar to Fig." 1 illustrating the position of certain parts when the tonearm is disposed in storage position,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View in elevation looking in the direction of the arrows 3-'-3 ofIFig; 2, and

Fig. 4 is a view similarto Fig. 3. illustrating another embodiment of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, Ihave illustrated,

' bent, parallel, spaced end portions 26 which are suitably apertured for the reception of va hinge of the present invention, 30'

14 for movement to on position.

by way of example, a phonograph which is provided with an automatic brake of the kind which is released for movement to on position by imparting to the tone arm, after a period of sound reproduction, a movement in the reverse direction to that in which it is moved during sound reproduction and which may there- 'after be restored to off position by moving rotatably mounted on said base plate in operativerelation. One free end of each of the levers 13 and 14 is adapted to co-act to maintain a brake pad 15, carried by the brake lever 14; out of engagement with a depending antumtable 16. The other end of the detent lever 13 is provided with an adjustably mounted toothed ratchet plate 17 which is adapted to co-act with a releasing and restoring member, formingv the subject matter whereby the detent lever 13 is trippedto release the brake lever In its brake restoring movement, an element carried by the brake releasing and restoring member is adapted to co-operate with a cam- 35 like projection 18 formed on one edge of the brake lever 14 whereby said brake lever is restored to off position upon movement or the tone arm 19 toward record playing position.

In accordance with my invention, abrake releasing and restoring member which is adapted to 'co-operate with the ratchet plate 17 and the cam-like projection 18, forming a part of the brake mechanism herein shown and described, for example, comprises a radiallyextending arm 20 which is hingedly connected to the periphery of a swivelled collar 21, forming a part of a tone arm mounting base 22, by means of a pair of co-operating hinge brackets 23 and 24.

- The hinge bracket 23 comprises an arcuately formedintermediate portion 25 and angularly pin 27. A laterally extending tab 28, which serves as a stop member, is iormedon the lower edge of the intermediate portion 25 and centrally between the end portions 26. The intermediate portion 25 is also provided with suitable spaced apertures whereby the bracket '23 is adapted to be secured to the periphery of the swivelled collar 21 by means. of the screws 29 or the like.

A similar bracket 24 comprises a straight intermediate portion which has one of its edges bent at right angles thereto to provide an up standing ridge 31, and similarly bent, parallel, spaced end portions 32 which are also apertured for the reception of the hinge pin 27. The end portions 32 of the bracket 24 are spaced a greater distance apart so that the end portions 26 of the bracket 23 may. be positioned therebetween and the hinge pin 27 passed through the apertures formed in the respective end portions 26 and 32, and the ends of the hinge pin 27 suitably-peened to prevent longitudinal moveand 7 whereby the hinge bracket 24 is constantly urged downwardly with its upstanding ridge 31 in abutment with the laterally extending tab 28 on the bracket 23, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

One end of the radially extending arm 20, comprising the brake releasing and restoring member, is secured to and centrally of the intermediate portion 30 of the hinge bracket 24 by means of a suitable rivet or the like with the secured end'oi' the arm 20 in abutment with the upstanding ridge 31 formed on the said intermediate portion 30, whereby the arm 20 is held in T -shape formation with the hinge bracket 24 and against movement relatively thereto, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

A pawl 35 is rotatably mounted on the free end of the radially extending arm 20 by means of a suitable pivot pin 34, a .vertically disposed knife edge 36 formed on the outer end of said pawl being adapted to engage with the toothed edge of the ratchet plate 17, hereinbefore described. The other end of the. pawl 35 is provided with an upstanding pin 3'7 having a' squared end portion which projects through an arcuate slot 38 formed in the arm 20 one radius with respect to the center of the pivot pin 34 so that the pin 3'7 will follow the contour of the slot 38 as the pawl 35. swings about the pivot pin 34.

The pawl 35 is normally urged in a clockwise direction by means of a spring 39 having one end thereof attached to the pawl 35, as indicated at 40, and the other end thereof attached to a depending ear 41 which isformed on one edge of the arm 20.

The means for moving the hinged radially exemployed to secure the base 22 to a transversemember or motorboard 44, comprises an upstanding substantially. L-shape member which terminates in a transversely extending edge portion 45 defining two angularly related edge portions 46- and 47 which are adapted to co-operate successively with the upstanding ridge 31, formed on the hinge bracket 24, upon movement of the tone arm 19 to storage position in a suitable supporting clipC therefor, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Simultaneously with the manual movement, for example, of the tone arm 19 from a normal operative position toward a storage position indicated in Fig. 2, the bracket 24 contacts with the edge portion 46 of the cam member 42 to begin the swinging movement of the brake releasing and restoring member 20 about its pivot restoring member 20, relatively to the tone arm 19, to a substantially vertical position whereupon the casing closure cover or lid 43 may be properly moved to closed position without interfering with th'e brake releasing and restoring member 20. a r f i In an alternative embodiment of the invention, illustrated in Fig. 4, for example, the cam member 42 may,'under certain conditions, be dispensed with and the rear vertical side 49 of the lid 48 relied upon to co-act with the brake releasing and restoring arm 20, when it projects beyond the rear edge 50 of the phonograph casing 51 upon movement of'the tone arm 19 to storage position, and elevate the "arm' 20 in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 4 sufficiently to prevent the arm 20 from interfering with the lid i8 upon movement thereof "toward position.

Although I haveshown and described certain specific embodiments of my invention, I am fully aware that many modifications thereof are possible. My invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: 7

1. In a phonograph, the combination of a rotatable element, brake mechanism for said element, a pivoted element including a support therefor having forward and reverse movements, means carried by said pivoted element adapted for actuating said mechanism, and means associated with said support whereby said firstnamed means is movable relatively to said pivoted element upon movement of said element to a storage position.

2. In a phonograph including a brake, a swingable tone arm and a support therefor, brake actuating means associated with said tone arm, and means carried by said support whereby said brake actuating means is adapted to be moved relatively to said tone arm upon movement thereof to storage position.

3. In a phonograph including brake mechanism, a swingable tone arm and a support therefor, means associated with said tone arm adapted for actuating said brake mechanism upon limited movement of said tone arm in one direction, and means carried by said support whereby said first named means is moved relatively to said tone arm upon movement thereof in a direction opposite to said first named direction.

4. In a phonograph including automatically actuated brake mechanism, a swingable tone arm and a support therefor, brake releasing and restoring means associated with said tone arm and adapted for actuating said brake mechanism, and means carried by said support whereby said brake releasing and restoring means is moved simultaneously relatively to said tone arm upon movement thereof to a storage position.

closed.

5. In a phonograph, the combination with arotatable support, brake mechanism for said support, a pivoted tone arm adapted to be moved to a storage position and including a supporting base therefor, of a brake releasing and restoring member hingedly connected to said tone arm for movement in conjunction therewith, and cam means carried by said base adapted to co-opera tively engage said brake releasing and restoring member upon movement of said tone arm to storage position whereby said member is moved relatively to said tone arm simultaneously.

6. In a phonograph including a brake and a swingable tone arm adapted-to be moved to storage position and a supporting base therefor, a brake actuatingmember'hingedly connected to said tone arm and normallyextending radially therefrom, and means associated with said base adapted to engage said actuating memberupon movement of said tone arm to storage position whereby said actuating member'issimultaneously retracted'relatively thereto.

7. In a phonograph including a brake and'a swingable tone armadapted to be'movedxtostorage positionand a supporting base therefor, a brake actuating member hingedly connected to said tone arm and normallyextendingradially therefrom, means associated with said base adapted toengage said actuating member upon movement of said tone arm.tostorageposition whereby said actuating member is simultaneouse ly retracted relatively thereto, and means associated with said actuating member for restoring said member to normal position upon movement of said tone arm to operative position.

8. In a phonograph, the combination with a rotatable support, brake mechanism for said support, a tone arm adapted to be moved to a storage position, a support for pivotally mounting said tone arm, of brake actuating means associated with said tone arm and adapted to be 1 moved in conjunction with-and relatively to said tone arm simultaneously, and means carried by said support whereby said brake actuating means is moved relatively to said tone arm upon movement thereof to storage position.

9. The combination with a phonograph including brake mechanism, a swingable tone arm adapted to be moved to storage position, and a supporting base for said tone arm, of a brake releasing and restoring lever hingedly connected to said tone arm and normally extending radially therefrom, a cam-like member secured to said base in the path of a hinge element forming a part of said actuating lever whereby, when said tone arm is moved to storage position, said cam-like member will co-act with said hinge element to move said lever relatively to said tone arm, and means for restoring said lever to normal position upon movement of said tone arm to operative position.

10. In a phonograph, the combination with a casing, a cover movable relatively thereto and a storage position in said casing of a control lever yieldably connected to said tone arm radially thereof for movement in conjunction'therewith whereby, when said tone arm is moved to storage position, said lever will project outwardly of said casing and partly into said cover, said cover and said lever being adapted to co-operate upon movement of said cover to closed position to move said lever relatively to said tone arm.

11. In a phonograph, the combination with a portable casing, a cover movable relatively thereto and a swingable tone arm adapted to be moved to a storage position in said casingof a brake actuating lever hingedly connected to said tone arm and normally extending radially therefrom for movement in conjunction therewith whereby, when said tone arm is moved to storage position, said lever will project outwardly of said casing partly into said cover, said cover and said lever being adapted to co-operate upon movement of said coverto closed position to susceptible of movement from operative to storage position, trip mechanism carried by said support, means tending to impede movement of said mechanism into storage position, and means whereby, when said support, is moved to storage position, said trip mechanism is caused to avoid for, means associated with said tone arm adapted for actuating said stop mechanism upon limited movement of said tone arm in one direction, and means carried by said support whereby said first named means is moved relatively to said tone arm upon movement thereof in a direction opposite to said first named direction.

15. In a phonograph including automatically actuated stop mechanism, aswingable tone arm and a support therefor, stop releasing and restoring means associated with said tone arm and adapted for actuating said stop mechanism, and means carried by said support whereby said stop releasing and restoring means is moved simultaneously relatively to said tone arm upon movement thereof to an inoperative position.

JOHN H.- TEAF. 

